


By the Lake

by HogwartsToAlexandria



Series: Marie's Stony Shorts 2019 [22]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Baby Peter Parker, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Family Fluff, Fluff, M/M, MCU Christmas Exchange 2019, Magical Accidents, Parenthood, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:28:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22033342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HogwartsToAlexandria/pseuds/HogwartsToAlexandria
Summary: "I swear to God, Steven," he ranted at the machine, walking into the penthouse when the doors finally opened, "if you don't call me back I'm--""Shh!""What the--" Tony stopped walking just as he approached the living room, phone still in hand and recording but no longer pressed against his ear as he watched the spectacle in front of him. "Is that… what the fuck? What happened to the kid?"MCU Christmas Exchange 2019
Relationships: Peter Parker & Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Marie's Stony Shorts 2019 [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1649599
Comments: 8
Kudos: 227
Collections: MCU Christmas Exchange





	By the Lake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EachPeachPearPlum](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EachPeachPearPlum/gifts).



> Merry Christmas a little late dearie! My apologies, I hope you'll enjoy this little thing, I had fun writing it so hopefully it will give you the soft vibes I was aiming for. 😘😘
> 
> Thank you again to Ruquas for being an A+ mod during this whole event ❤

Tony pressed the key that allowed him to call Pepper and tried to stop his knee from jerking as he waited for the elevator.  _ How was it so slow today? _

Pepper being Pepper, the phone only rang twice before she picked up, and, not that it was unusual, but Tony decided to forgo the traditional greetings and go straight to the point, "Have you heard from Steve? I can't get a hang of him."

Sounding mildly exasperated, Pepper answered after a short pause. Tony could just see her frowning in his mind. 

"Why would I have heard from him?"

Too bad Tony was too worried to play that game. 

"I know you two have been planning something behind my back, don't lie." He knew he sounded a bit snappy but he really couldn't help it, not with how this stupid elevator was apparently still stuck on the thirteenth floor -  _ damn interns _ . 

"I will neither confirm nor deny the truthfulness of that statement." Pepper's answer put Tony's mind back on track, "But no. MIA since last night. When's the last time you two talked?" 

She had that tone to her, the one he knew was meant to placate him,  _ tough luck _ , it wasn't working. 

"This morning." He said and then realizing he sounded like one of those helicopter parents calling fire for no reason, he added, "He had a  _ thing _ . Involving Fury, and the  _ wizard _ ." 

Pepper remained silent, only making a sound at the back of her throat like she understood where he was coming from. She couldn't help. Fine. 

"I'll try again." He said. 

The elevator finally dinged open in front of him. 

"Aight, keep me posted?" 

Tony stepped into the cabin and all but hammered the button to the penthouse. "Only if you tell me what you and my boyfriend are up to." 

Had he been in the same room as Pepper, he would have winked but the way she answered showed just how much she didn't to see it, "In. Your. Dreams."

"You're no fun."

Pepper laughed, "That's *my* superpower." 

And like that she hung up. 

Tony watched the floor numbers go up, and up, and up, and couldn't take the wait so he punched Steve's contact again and listened to his call, ringing in the void. He sighed as he once again got Steve's voicemail. 

"I swear to God, Steven," he ranted at the machine, walking into the penthouse when the doors  _ finally _ opened, "if you don't call me back I'm--"

"Shh!"

"What the--" Tony stopped walking just as he approached the living room, phone still in hand and recording but no longer pressed against his ear as he watched the spectacle in front of him. "Is that… what the fuck? What happened to the kid?" 

Tony's eyes widened more and more as he took in the sight of Peter, pint-sized and looking at him where he stood by the door of the living-room, round cheeks and round eyes. 

"Stak!" Grabby little fists waved through the air. 

It's only then that Tony remembered to hang up and put his phone away, seeing as Steve was right next to Peter, same as Strange and Fury, Nat and Hill a little further away but still within reach of the kid. 

"Is anyone going to tell me what happened?" 

Tony couldn't help the way his feet carried him closer and closer, until he was standing right next to the chair they'd put Peter on, and looked down into the brown eyes that were busy staring right back at him. 

"Stak!" Baby Peter cried again, reaching for Tony again and again until he almost toppled over and Tony steadied him. "Up?" 

His feet rooted in place and his eyes going back and forth between the others, Tony bit his lip. 

"Sure, kid." Twice, Tony reached down, not sparing a lasting thought for the way his hands felt shaky and clammy. "Hm, damn, alright," he wedged his hands under Peter's arms and lifted him until he could hold him close to his chest. "Like that?"

Peter only smiled at him, bright, and so damn innocent it hurt to look at him but Tony couldn't tear his gaze away. 

"Interdimensional threat." Strange said, "A spell and a curse ricocheted and Parker ended up taking the brunt of it." 

Detaching his eyes from the sight of Peter entangling his clumsy finger in his scarf was proving difficult for Tony but when he did look up, he didn't miss the look on Strange's face. 

"Anything funny?" He asked, his jaw squaring as if on reflex - this man really had a gift for riling him up or something. "What are we gonna do to fix it?" 

Strange's smirk was rubbing him the wrong way. "There's nothing you can do, unless we put him through the quantum tunnel, but that has proved hazardous," he said, giving a pointed glance to Steve. 

"He has a point," the man shrugged, something was off in his expression that Tony couldn't quite place but Peter booping his nose was proving distracting. 

Tony caught Peter's hand in one of his own gently, holding it as he asked again, "So, what's the solution then, there is one right? There has to be one." 

"Yes, Stark, just, none that you can find, I'll have to consult with my peers in Kamar-Taj. It shouldn't take more than a week." 

Tony hummed, "Got it. Dumbledore, Hogwarts Staff, magical cure shenanigans." 

A glance to the left showed Tony the way Steve was biting his cheek not to snort and that was enough for him. He winked at Steve, only now allowing himself to feel the full extent of his relief that the man he loved was intact, healthy as ever. 

"We'll need someone to watch over Mr.Parker in the meantime though." Fury said, his first intervention so far, Tony had almost forgotten he was there. 

"We'll do it!" Steve blurted. 

"We will?" Tony turned on his hips. 

"Well yeah, no? It's only a week and he was  _ not  _ that calm before you got here." 

"He wasn't?" Tony looked from Steve's small smile to Peter's flushed cheeks. 

"Stak!" Peter clapped his hands together. 

"Wanna stay with us, buddy?" Tony was having trouble reconciling his view of Peter's teenage form and attitude, growing older by the day, and this small, purest version of him. Peter nodded so hard his head lolled forward on Tony's chest - it didn't stop him, he kept nodding, whispering, "Yes! Yessssss,"

"Alright? I guess? I mean, yeah, sure, we'll watch underoos while you," Tony waved his free hand towards Strange, "find a cure. And you…" he turned to Fury and the very silent ladies behind them. 

"We'll be at HQ, and then two floors down." Nat answered.

"Okidoki." Tony nodded. 

And then they all left, and Tony looked up at Steve again. 

"I guess we're doing this then?" 

"Temp parenting? Yep." Steve winked at him, then burst out laughing. 

Tony could only join him, taking once again in the sight of Peter, who joined them in their fit of hilarity, unknowing of its cause but laughing gleefully nonetheless. 

"Any idea what to feed a one-year old baby?" Tony asked when they all quieted down. 

"Not the slightest." Steve admitted, "We'll figure it out." 

Tony let himself believe Steve's words - something he found he did more and more easily - the hand that made its way to his lower back warm and comforting. 

* * *

  
  


* * *

Tony sat on the sofa, his back protesting the end of the first day he'd ever had to spend with a baby the age Peter was now, apparently. Or until Strange did his thing at least. Even though Steve had volunteered them to take care of the child, the entire team had quickly pitched in through the afternoon, bringing them necessary items they were much too busy making sure Peter didn't chew on anything deadly to go buy. That was how they found themselves with a brand new baby carrier still in its box at Tony's right, and with a fridge brimming with baby-safe food, and with a guest bedroom filled with toys and more importantly, a crib Peter was thankfully sleeping soundly in. 

The baby monitor Pepper had provided Tony with was sitting in front of him on the coffee table and Tony had trouble keeping his eyes off it, no matter how tired he felt. Steve was in the shower, rinsing the day off as well, still pretty shook by the way this last mission had unfolded. So Tony said fuck it. 

He got up again and made his way to what was temporarily Peter's room, pushing the door without a sound. He threaded on the soft carpet flooring until he was standing right by the crib, Peter's sized down frame coming into sight right away. He was on his back, his head to the side with the one cheek puffing out, one of his tiny hands crammed in his mouth, deep in sleep. 

Tony wasn't sure how long he stayed there staring. He wasn't sure why exactly either but there was something fascinating in knowing this tiny face was Peter's, the kid he knew and loved, vibrant with life and bouncy with joy always, so quiet and  _ tiny _ , really there was no other word. 

The Iron Man felt rather inadequate in the face of such frailty, his hands too big and his motions too clumsy. And yet, all throughout the afternoon, after the others left, both he and Steve had played and watched and laughed and cared for Peter, as best they could. The little gargles he gave them didn’t seem too much on the complaining side. Tony took it as a win.

He stayed, watching Peter’s back rise and sink with every deep breath he took, his face relaxed, his mouth letting drool pool on his fist. He stayed, even as he heard the shower turn off down the hall, and then the door of the bathroom open as Steve got out. He didn’t move, as Steve quickly guessed where he was and joined him, as silent as Tony had been as he walked through the room until he was behind him and could circle Tony’s hips and rest his chin on Tony’s shoulder.

“Bed time for us too?” he whispered after a while was spent in complete silence. 

Steve’s chest was so warm against Tony’s back, his arms so strong around his midsection that even the soft words startled him. He hummed in agreement, blinking a few times, Peter was still deep under, thankfully he would stay that way all night. 

* * *

The next morning, Tony found he wasn’t the first awake, nothing unusual there, but, what was more out of the ordinary, he found Steve wasn’t out on his morning run but in the kitchen, settled at the table with a cup of coffee and another in front of Tony’s chair - had he been  _ that _ loud getting up? - with Peter in the high chair Happy had brought them the day before.

“Mornin’ hot dad,” Tony grinned, the image Steve and Peter made together unlocking something inside him he didn’t care to look at too closely this early but still shedding a brightness on this morning the likes of which didn’t often happen.

“Hey there,” Steve got up, letting Tony come bury his face in his neck like he always did. He kept him there, in his arms for another minute or so before Peter babbled behind him and the two men parted. “He heard you get up. Kept repeating your name.”

“Wait a second,” Tony cranked an eyebrow up, “ _ he _ heard me and you didn’t?”

Steve shook his head with a small smile.

“Guess that Peter tingle thing really is no joke uh, baby?” Tony went to Peter, his grin not fading when Peter immediately raised his arms to be picked up and he indulged him.

Heavier of one approximately one-and-a-half-years old baby, Tony sat in his chair and greedily dragged his coffee mug towards him, gulping down half of it. Heaven.

“What shall we do with you today, Petey?” Tony practically cooed, ignoring Steve’s dopey smile as much as he could. He could feel them, the questions in Steve’s head, they could wait another time.

“Well, considering that half the apartment is still unsafe until the repairs,” Steve pointedly rolled his eyes, making Tony laugh sheepishly - unsafe was an understatement, he  _ had _ blown up two rooms entirely and that entire aisle of the penthouse still reeked of various chemicals all unfit to guarantee either of them could breathe properly for too long, let alone a child. “I was thinking we could go out?”

“And face the crowd?” Tony’s eyes widened.

“Could always take the Stark jet to the lake house? Have some quiet time there for a bit, what do you say?” Steve’s eyes were so clear then, so loving as he followed the way Peter’s hands clapped on Tony’s cheeks, clumsy little waves that blew over with his palms square on Tony’s jaw and his little fingers playing with the hairs for his goatee.

“Sure, let’s do that.” Tony nodded, “but first gotta get this one dressed in appropriate winter time clothing, if we have that?’ he added, finishing his sentence with a raising tone as doubt filled him.

“Yup, May dropped stuff off when you were sleeping, practically shrieked when she saw him too, I’m surprised you didn’t wake up.” 

“I can see it just fine in my mind,” Tony huffed. “You tell her we’re fine right? She doesn’t have to take time off work?”

“Course. Now go shower, I’ll take care of dressing him.”

“Kiss me first,  _ Captain _ ,” Tony made a come hither motion of his free hand, the other one staying securely put on Peter’s back. 

Steve went easily, leaning towards him until he could reach a hand in Tony’s hair. Morning kisses were such good kisses, Tony sighed, glancing at Peter’s wide eyes when they parted and dropping a small, tentative kiss on his forehead too. Then he handed him to Steve and went to do as said, his head filled with questions, ideas, plans, maybe? as he rinsed the night off himself.

* * *

The lake house was one of their favorite places to hide away from the world, to love each other without the constraints of being public faces, without the fear of having their lives vivisected in the press the very next day. It was quiet, and the trees and the decks just so far removed from the reality of their day-to-day lives they might as well have switched countries. 

Steve let them into the house, holding the door for Tony and Peter, the baby having asked, quite loudly too, that he be the one to carry him and neither man could refuse him anything it seemed so of course Tony was holding the boy to him as they entered. Peter’s eyes were wide and searching, looking around and not for the first time, Tony wondered what Peter’s vision was like, and how disturbing it must be for a baby to receive such an important and continuous flow of information like this. 

They decided to have lunch by the lake, Steve taking charge of laying plaid blankets on the grass and making sure their sodas would stay fresh in the cooler. Tony couldn't remember the last time he'd been so relaxed, couldn't remember a time where Steve's features had stayed this lax this long either, and Peter seemed to have fun as well, if the way his baby cheeks stayed split in the most brilliant smile all throughout the afternoon. They had sandwiches which they bite-fed each other, had chips which Peter made a mess off, crumbling them all over the blanket with his crystalline laugh echoing in the woods that surrounded them. 

The sippy cup Rhodey Happy had made sure Pepper included in the bags of necessities had a cartoon spiderman printed over it in the midst of a battle and Tony couldn't help but think of the excitement of teenage Peter at having his alter-ego's merch be  _ so cool _ . God, he loved that kid. 

After having crawled over their second blanket and back a few hundred times, having pulled himself up on his shaky legs by way of gripping Tony's shoulders and having taken a few wobbly steps until he could plop down Steve's lap as often as his energy would let him, Peter started showing signs of fatigue. 

"That yawn could fit the whole house," Tony chuckled as Peter's face distorted, the boy so tired his head lolled down periodically before he started awake again where he rested between his legs. 

"Yeah, we should go back." Steve smiled at them. His phone buzzed then and he looked at it, frowning a bit. 

"T's up?" Tony asked, his eyes not leaving the way Peter's gaze was fixed on him, his thumb brushing over the back of the baby's hand gently. 

"Nothing important," Steve said, his voice already shifting back to the more tense, more rigid tone of real life but Tony couldn't stop the warm feeling inside him at the way Peter was now trying to get up and grabbed tiny fistful of his clothes as support all through the motion. "Let's go home, we can have dinner in front of the TV, then maybe read him a story or something?" 

"Sounds good," Tony finally looked up, his arms wrapping around Peter's back one more as the boy's arms circled his neck and Peter rubbed the skin there like he was hugging him. Fuck but his heart wouldn't survive that onslaught. 

"You go get him in the car, I'll clean this up and meet you there," Steve kissed Tony's cheek, then, as if on a second thought, dropped another to the top of Peter's head. 

Tony bit his lip, then got up. 

"You're gonna sleep the whole way to the jet, aren't you?" Tony smiled as Peter's eyelids already grew heavy, strapped in the car seat as he was. 

"Stak…" Peter mumbled softly, clutching the Iron Man plush that had come with the rest of his stuff to him. 

"Damn," Tony whispered before turning around in the passenger seat waiting for Steve to join them. 

* * *

The flight home was uneventful, Peter slept through it all, as expected and Tony made himself at home on Steve's lap. 

"That was fun," he said softly as they both looked out the window at the darkening sky. 

"Yes, yes it was, wasn't it?" Steve answered, and Tony could hear the tender smile in his voice without leaving his spot wedged in his boyfriend's neck. 

They didn't say anything after that, just enjoyed the comfort of their embrace and the quiet of the plane until Mr. Elridge set it on the tarmac and came to tell him they could get off now. 

Peter only stirred awake as the car reached the Tower and, only opened his eyes fully when Tony had to get him out of his seat to get into the elevator. 

"Hey baby," he cooed and grinned at Peter's immediate smile, and at the way his small hands flew through the air to reach his cheeks, patting them clumsily. 

"Stak, Stak, Stak." He repeated softly, his head on Tony's shoulder as the elevator took the three of them to the penthouse. 

Tony looked at Steve then, the glint in the man’s gaze so soft and focused he couldn't help but squirm in place. 

"What?" 

"Nothing." Steve smirked. 

"What's on your mind, Rogers?"

"You look good like that." Steve said simply and Tony felt his cheeks warm up instantly. 

"Yeah right." 

The elevator let them out then, making it so that Steve couldn't answer. 

Their dinner was as simple as their lunch had been. As fun and messy too. Mashed carrots turned out to be quite the stain, shocker right? 

They were getting ready to get Peter to bed, deciding on what story of all the books Pepper had given them they would read when the unmistakable glow and sparks of Strange's portals appeared in the corner of the room. Both men got up right away, Tony's fists clenching on reflex. Peter's eyes were wide and his little mouth open in awe though, completely unconcerned with the intrusion other than for the beauty of its magic.

"Think you could have asked before you appeared in our living-room Strange?" Tony roused as he man stepped forward and closed his portal behind him. 

"Oh, but I did send Mr. Rogers a text earlier? Nevermind, I should have reiterated, if you'll pardon me," Strange had the sense to look sheepish and Steve bit his lip when Tony looked to him for an explanation so Tony let it go and relaxed. "I simply thought you'd like to know at once when we found the counter-curse." 

Tony's mind didn't process that second part as quick though. He looked at Peter when the baby grabbed his hand at his side and tugged on his finger with a questioning noise. 

"That quickly?" Steve said, expressing the one thing Tony was feeling.

"Yes," Strange smiled, "the trainees at Kamar-Taj were especially efficient in this case, so Mr Parker will be able to go back to normal, and so will you, if I can just take him with me." 

"Oh," Steve's voice sounded surprised but also, defensive? Tony looked at his boyfriend for the first time since the portal had started forming and bit his lip at the frown he saw there. 

So he hadn't dreamed the thoughts he'd seen passing through the man's head since the night before. 

"Can we come with you? Dunno if there's a standard procedure or rules or precepts whatever but can--"

"Yes, you may come, Stark." Strange interrupted him, an amused look passing through his features as his eyes looked from him to Steve, to Peter. "If you'll follow me."

He made a few complicated gestures with his hands and another portal formed, right there by the couch. 

"Alright, let's… let's go baby." Tony reached for Peter, unbuckling the little belt of his high chair and wiping his face as best he could with the bib before looking at Steve again, "let's go?" 

Steve startled, his eyes searching Tony's, then staying pensively on Peter as he nodded. 

"After you, Tony." 

It's only later, when Strange let them go home by way of yet another of his sparkly circles and pushed a newly gone back to normal Peter through another one that connected to May's place, that Tony sat back at their kitchen table, staring unseeingly at their abandoned plates and most specifically, at Peter's half-eaten chicken fingers. He had a bit of trouble processing the last 24 hours.

"Tony, I was thinking," Steve started as he came back from whatever he'd been doing in his study and leaned on the edge of the table near Tony. 

Tony looked up at him from where his chin was resting on his hands, his elbows on his knees. 

"Maybe…" 

"Maybe we could have one of those for ourselves uh?" Tony cut him off, smiling softly at Steve's relieved huff. "Yeah I've been thinking about that too." 

"Is that something you'd want? A baby, one that'd be  _ ours _ ?" Steve asked, his hands gripping the side of the table with nerves the likes of which he rarely displayed. 

Tony got up slowly, coming to stand between Steve's parted legs, his hand coming up to brush the side of his boyfriend's neck. 

"I wasn't sure at first you know? With our lives, with our missions and the motherfucking press out there and--" 

"But?" 

"But this was fun? You said it yourself, it was nice, taking care of him like that? Even when he got fussy last night and… I just… yeah? Yeah I think I'd be up for that, a baby Rogers Stark."

Steve laughed, happiness filtering through loud and clear as his hands made their way to Tony's hips, clenching softly.

"Beware world." He whispered and Tony laughed in turn, a little euphoric at the very thought of what they were deciding right then. "You'd make a great Dad." Steve sobered up just a bit, his eyes still shone bright as they looked into Tony's, such clear blue piercing right to his heart. 

His voice came out as a wobbly whisper when Tony responded, his breath coming short, "And you a wonderful Pops." 

The kiss Steve initiated then went on seemingly endlessly, it took Tony like a wave, stole air from his lungs at the same time as it gave him the impression of flying, the same euphoria he had when he was two-thousand feet up in the sky filling him till he thought he might burst. Their arms wound around each other, the pair of them repeated their assurances, gave each other  _ Dads _ , and  _ Pops _ , and  _ love yous _ , all ready as they felt, to become more of a family than they felt they already were. 

Life was good, and Peter could babysit once in a while. Maybe they'd even call their own son Benjamin. For the sake of memories. 

  
  



End file.
